1pt5 Landslide
by Lamby
Summary: A new student at Bayville High upsets things between Gambit and Rogue, whilst Kitty befriends an unusual lost soul.
1. 01

When a new student forces Gambit and Rogue into a rocky patch, Blaze is challenged as to whether his friendship, or the possibility of more than that, is more important to her. Gambit/Rogue/OC1 triangle, Logan/OC2, Kitty/Lance hints   
  
Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: Fifth of my X-Men Evolution stories, but no need to read the prequels I hope, though feel free if you'd like! The 'previouslys' below are all from my other fics, just to fill in the gaps. On the other hand, this is the build up to a X-Men Evolution remake of Corrinth's Movie fic 'Guardians of Destiny'. All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 01  
  
Previously, on X-Men Evolution.........  
  
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"I was just wonderin' how long I could expect the pleasure of your company, Cherie." Gambit filed away the information Blaze had unwittingly given him for reporting back to Magneto, whilst trying to cover his near-error. Blaze may be innocent as to Ilehana Xavier's connections to the X-Men, but she wasn't slow either. He'd have to play this one carefully.  
  
"About as long as anyone else I'm afraid." Blaze replied casually, "Until I get bored."  
  
"Then I t'ink I can guarantee we wont be partin' acquaintance just yet." Gambit smiled, red-on-black eyes sparkling wickedly. Blaze met his eyes again and smiled too, this man seemed too like her for his own good.........  
  
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"Is you okay Cherie?" Rogue looked up at the sound of the familiar voice, though her eyes were dazed and unfocused. Then suddenly and out of nowhere she was in his strong arms, her lips caressing his. She felt his shock in the rigidity of his shoulders, but then felt it melt as he gave in to enjoyment. Away to one side of them in the dust as the gathered mutants watched Rogue and Gambit in shock, Blaze opened her eyes slowly, rolling onto her side. And then her heart broke. Forcefully she turned her face away, cold and bitter tears hitting the dust.  
  
Like waking from a dream, Rogue suddenly came back to herself and realised what she was doing. It still took her a second to pull away from Gambit as blood rushed to her cheeks and her world swam. Gambit's world wasn't feeling too stable either as he let her go reluctantly. Heck he'd been around the block more than a few times, but this Rogue was somethin' else.........  
  
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"Its much worse than that." Ilehana sighed, watching as by the nearly loaded car below the window Blaze dragged her fingers through her red hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. She was just about ready to leave. Vixen felt Logan's vague surprise at just how young and helpless Blaze looked at that moment. Did he understand then why Ilehana was so committed to saving the girl then? Such a child really, their Blaze......... "The kiss Rogue gave Gambit, the kiss that has him hooked on her now was as much Blaze as it was Rogue, if not more so."  
  
"Are you sure?" Logan was shocked; he'd known both girls had things for the Cajun, but this put a whole new meaning to the phrase 'stolen kiss'.  
  
"Is the Rogue you know that spontaneous that she'd do something like that? I don't think so, even with Stifle cancelling out her powers. But she had just touched Blaze, and Blaze is that spontaneous. Rogue knows it, even as she's trying to keep that knowledge to herself. Blaze knows too, and she'll never forgive Rogue or herself for what happened."  
  
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"I don't even wanna know what you gonna be doin' to stop all this." Remy muttered in reply. Taking a deep breath he met Blaze's eyes, not backing down as she stared at him unfocused. "You like playin' games, Chere, here's the deal. I do this, but only on one condition. When this all over, you go back with the X-Men. You let the Xaviers help you." He took hold of her hand in his fingerless glove, shocked briefly at how warm she was. "This ain't you Petite, you ain't smiled once since I found you. This ain't my friend, Amie........."  
  
Briefly, he almost reached her, the real Blaze. The Blaze who laughed readily at his jokes even when no one else found them funny, the Blaze who'd do anything for the people she cared about. But then she was gone, replaced again by this fire-demon with a will of forged steel. It seemed a Blaze consumed by her powers was even more stubborn than the usual sort of Blaze.  
  
"That's your condition?" He nodded, before she continued. "Then this is mine. I'll go back to Bayville if you will leave Magneto."  
  
"I can't do that." He warned. "He........."  
  
"Will have to get through me if he wants to hurt you." Blaze snapped, hair like an aura of flame about her, eyes on fire. "And that's not as easy as it looks."  
  
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(Roll titles..............................) 


	2. 02

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 02  
  
Principle Kelly eyed his two newest students warily from across his desk. The two boys stood there, almost to attention, trying very hard not to cause offence on their first day. Kelly's eyes dropped to the admission papers in front of him, to the two names scribed there. Jonnie Maguire had been on his former school's debating team, chess team, and played bass guitar. He was a good-looking kid, Kelly supposed, even if he did wear too much hair gel, and was that eyeliner he had on his face? And what was the point of the long chain attached to his jeans' belt? Young people today, did they have no idea of fashion? Jonnie returned Kelly's judgemental glance with a friendly smile, green eyes sparkling with confidence.  
  
His fellow new boy could not be more of an opposite. All bundled up in a heavy brown jacket despite the hot weather, he had an ugly blue baseball cap pulled down to hide his face and scruffy mop of dreadlocks. The dark- skinned, short and chubby boy who insisted on being called Golan had no history of joining clubs or having hobbies, apart from what his former principle had described as an unhealthy interest in geology. This boy was not going to fit in at Bayville, Kelly could tell. He had troublemaker written all over him, with those big shifty eyes and wide, unsmiling mouth. But Kelly was not in a position to turn new students away, especially with those irritating mutants scaring off his parents at every turn.  
  
"Well, boys." Kelly announced, trying to keep his voice neutral. "There is little left for me to say other than I hope you are happy at Bayville. Which you will be," He looked straight at Golan, catching the boy's eyes from underneath the hat. "So long as you don't cause any trouble. Troublemakers, you will find, will be met with the strictest discipline........."  
  
Golan left Kelly's office downhearted and glum. The other new boy didn't wait for him, didn't offer that maybe they should stick together until they had settled in. But Golan didn't expect it. He'd always been a loner, no reason why that shouldn't be the case in Bayville as everywhere else. His wide nostrils flared as he choked back on a sob, eyelids flicking shut over his too wide set eyes horizontally, not vertically. In his hand, a crumpled newspaper cutting was his only comfort. The headline read 'Children attending Bayville High confirmed as Mutants.........'  
  
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"S'cuse me?" An unfamiliar male voice came from the other side of Rogue's locker door. She stepped back and closed the locker, frowning. Her frown faded as a very cute guy with spiked brown hair and sparkling green eyes smiled back at her. "Sorry," he condoned her. "Didn't mean to interrupt, but I was wonderin' where the best place to eat lunch is round here?"  
  
"I........." Rogue began, but was interrupted by another passing student. Maria was as anti-mutant as they came, especially since one of the X-Men had got her banned from the mall for attempted shoplifting. Rogue couldn't stand Maria almost as much as she couldn't stand the X-Man who'd set her up, the fire-mutant named Blaze.  
  
"Hey, you're new aren't you?" Maria asked Jonnie, putting her hand a little too friendlily on his bare arm, making Rogue cringe jealously. Jonnie nodded. "Then here's a word of advice, li'l Rogue here and her collection of acquaintances are mutant scum, so you might wanna make more normal friends, you know?"  
  
"You're a mutant?" Jonnie shrugged off Maria's arm and turned his charming smile back on Rogue. She shook back her white strands of hair and pouted, posture aggressive as she replied "Yeah." Jonnie only grinned wider, completely blanking a confused Maria. "Cool, my best friend at my old school was a mutant. He could melt stuff just by looking at it, y'know computers during IT lessons, blackboards in French, basketballs in phys ed.......... What's you power?"  
  
"It's a bit complicated." Rogue started, as Maria stormed off in a huff, already badmouthing the new guy to a dozen passing kids. "I'm Rogue." The Southern girl extended her gloved hand, and the new boy gladly took it.  
  
"Jonnie." He filled in. "Wanna do lunch?" The whole sparkly-eye thing was obviously catching as Rogue smiled too, linked arms with Jonnie and led him laughing outside to the picnic tables.  
  
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"Whose that?" Kurt asked, pointing to a chunky boy in a thick coat who was ransacking his locker, obviously in search of something.  
  
"I don't know." Jean answered, "Must be a new kid."  
  
"He looks a little fazed." Kitty pointed out. "Think I'll go say 'hi'."  
  
"Want back-up?" Kurt asked, flexing his not-so impressive muscles and grinning. "You don't know if he's dangerous........."  
  
"No, let Kitty go," Jean ordered. "We don't want to spook him, all rushing over at once."  
  
Golan was flustered, he was sure he'd put his packed lunch in here this morning. Laughter from round the corner of the lockers grabbed his attention, and he saw a collection of older boys tossing his lunch between them. One slam-dunk and it was in the trashcan, completely untouched. Annoyed, Golan slammed his locker shut, then jumped as someone spoke to him in a friendly voice.  
  
"Hey there, I'm Kitty. Are you alright?"  
  
"De boys, dey take Golan's lunch from de locker. No harm Golan had done to dem, why must dey do this to him? Now Golan has no lunch, it is in de trashcan........."  
  
For a moment, Kitty's eyes glazed over as she struggled to follow Golan's babbling speech. But she got the gist of it, and seeing how upset the new boy was hardened her resolve to offer her friendship. What Duncan and his dumb friends had done was horrid, but she had more than enough lunch for two.  
  
"Don't worry about them, Golan." She put a gentle hand on his arm and guided him away from the laughing boys. "My name's Kitty, and I've got plenty of food, that is, if you don't mind sharing?"  
  
Golan's wide, frog-like mouth opened up into a huge grin, and he clapped his hands together as if in glee. Kitty was staggered, the arm she was holding hadn't moved at all, but still two hands had met to clap.........  
  
"Hey!" She whispered frantically. "You're a mutant too, aren't you?"  
  
For a second Golan was on the brink of running for it. He'd suffered too much prejudice in his life over his mutation, his strange appearance and manner of speech. But then he realised what exactly Kitty had been saying; that she was a mutant. Perhaps here he had found someone who could accept him? One arm was still grasped by the pretty brunette, another removed the baseball cap from his head, yet another rested on the lockers he was stood by, and a final hand scratched his scalp briefly. Kitty's jaw dropped open; this mutant had four arms!  
  
"That is so cool!" She enthused. Golan grinned, nobody had ever called him cool before, as he put his extra hands in his trouser pockets and did his thick coat up over the top of them. As a disguise the thick coat worked quite well, it was bulky enough to hide the extra arms from all but the most critical glances, not unlike what Angel did with his wings. But already Kitty was thinking how useful an image inducer would be to this mutant, hoping that she could earn his trust enough to let her take him to the Professor......... 


	3. 03

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 03  
  
The red motorbike pulled up outside the school with plenty of time to spare, parking next to a familiar black and silver 4x4 where a stunning redhead was soaking up the sun, perched elegantly on the bonnet. Today Blaze had gone all 'rock chick'; scruffy trainers, torn silver-blue jeans and black crop top that showed off her belly button piercing and enough flesh to make little old women blush. The look was completed with designer sunglasses, and a silver wire choker designed around an 'X' motif. No doubts where this girl's heart lay then, she was an X-Man through and through now.  
  
"Hi Remy." She greeted the motorbike rider amicably as he removed his helmet. "Pull up a seat." Her accent was English, her voice melodic and tinted with friendly laughter. Gambit did as he was told, jumping up besides her to perch on the bonnet of Ilehana Xavier's precious car. "You taking Rogue out again?"  
  
"Yeah." He replied, enjoying the sun on his bare arms and face. "What you doin' here, you datin' some high school kid now?" His attitude was teasing, but Blaze took it good-naturedly.  
  
"Hey, it could happen! Not that I've any desire to end up an old married like some people I know." She shot him a wicked sideways glance over her sunglasses and he scowled at her.  
  
"Mind your mouth, Petite."  
  
"Sorry." She smiled, not sorry at all, then turned the conversation serious. "The threats have been getting worse. No names or actions yet, but Xavier doesn't want the less.........well-trained kids coming home on their own, just in case. Which means I get to play school run." She sighed, and patted the bonnet of the car. "At least Ilehana has let me borrow this hunk of junk, don't think it'd work so well with my poor little two-seater."  
  
"Huh." Remy shrugged, thinking he'd let the kids go home alone, and good luck to anyone who wanted to mess with 'em. "So you comin' out for a drink later after I drop Rogue home?"  
  
"Don't know." Blaze replied, not liking the sound of being second best after Rogue. But then again, she already knew he thought like that. Would Gambit ever realise how wrong he was? "Scott's got some major training planned for Omara and me so........."  
  
The bell interrupted her, and like a tidal wave a thousand kids were suddenly streaming past them at a run, leaving them high and dry on the car bonnet. Without even saying 'Hi' to Blaze, Berserker, Cannonball, Magma and Iceman were all over the car, fighting over seats.  
  
"I call shotgun!" Omara reached for the passenger seat door handle, but was literally lifted up and moved out of the way by Berserker.  
  
"No way Small-Fry! Maybe when you've grown a bit."  
  
"I do not deserve this." Blaze sighed to Gambit, who grinned as they both slid off the car bonnet. He stood back as she got in the driver's seat and started the engine. "Have Rogue home by her curfew remember." She told him, returning his grin, before pulling away as the kids in the back fought over who sat in the middle.  
  
"She have to get here before then for that." Gambit pointed out, more to himself than the fast disappearing car. Around him the initial rush to escape school's clutches was over, and there was still no sign of Rogue. Leaning on his bike he folded his arms and settled in to wait.  
  
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"So, um, Blaze?" Berserker started as Magma leaned over from the back of the car and flicked on the radio. "I was wonderin' if you were busy on Friday night? Only there's this dance contest thing going on at school and I........."  
  
"Can't get a date?" Blaze laughed, as Cannonball piped up in the back "No way you asked her before I did!"  
  
"I........." Berserker stuttered, making Magma and Iceman giggle. "I mean would you mind driving? I mean........."  
  
"Ah, so its more of a wanting to arrive in my car thing than wanting to arrive with me?" Blaze shot Berserker a cheeky grin, making him even more flustered.  
  
"No, no, 'course not. I know you can dance too, so........."  
  
"And if she couldn't dance?" Magma asked, leaning forward in her seat. "Would you still have asked her?"  
  
"No. I mean yeah. I don't know, okay." Bobby and Omara howled with laughter.  
  
"You are so digging yourself into a hole Cannonball'd be proud of, Ray!" Bobby pointed out, and then winced as Cannonball elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "Aw, what'd you do that for?"  
  
"Hey you kids leave off winding up my dance partner!" Blaze quipped, "That's my job!"  
  
"So you'll go?" Berserker had never looked more relieved, even if Bobby and Omara were still cackling in the back seat.  
  
"You said the magic words." Blaze shrugged. "'Dance contest' to me is like a plateful of bacon to Wolverine!"  
  
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"Yeah, I got their last album." Rogue leant against her locker, still chatting to Jonnie despite the fact that every other pupil had long left the building to go home. "But I didn't rate it as good as their first, y'know?"  
  
"I guess you're right." Jonnie shrugged and smiled. Rogue couldn't much help but smile back. She'd never met someone she had this much in common with, she and Jonnie had the same taste in everything, and he was so mature! He even listened to her when she had something to say, shocking as that was. "Blast, look at the time! I could stay here talking to you all night, Rogue, but my parents are gonna be gettin' worried."  
  
"Oh." Rogue was downcast, and then she remembered something kinda important. "Oh no! Gambit!"  
  
"Gambit?" Jonnie frowned. "Whose that? Someone from the institute?"  
  
"No, no. He's my........." 'Boyfriend' didn't sit well with her, and she didn't particularity want Jonnie to think she was unavailable, so she improvised. "My ride home, he'll be waitin' for me!"  
  
"I'll let you go then." Jonnie still sounded slightly suspicious, but he took hold of Rogue's gloved hands and smiled at her. "But before you do, I just wanna say thank you. I never thought in a million years that my first day in Bayville would be bearable, much less enjoyable. I owe it all to you, Rogue." Standing very, very close to her, he kissed the back of one glove, and then the other, all the time looking Rogue straight in the eye as she blushed. Behind them, someone cleared their throat manfully.  
  
"Hope I'se not interruptin' nothin'?"  
  
"Gambit!" Rogue exclaimed, pulling away from Jonnie.  
  
"You're Rogue's friend?" Jonnie asked, turning to offer Gambit a hand to shake. Remy folded his arms. "Nice to meet you?" Jonnie continued hesitantly, looking back at Rogue who shrugged her apologies.  
  
"Whatever." Gambit turned to leave. "This taxi driver ain't stickin' around for this."  
  
"Gambit, wait........." Rogue strode after him out the doors, but the Cajun was not in the mood. He didn't say anything else, mounting his motorbike and jamming on his helmet. The look he gave Rogue as he rode away said it all; Jonnie would need to watch his back.  
  
"You look like you could use a milkshake." Jonnie consoled her. "My treat?" 


	4. 04

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier and Ori = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 04  
  
It was getting dark when Blaze returned after Scott's intensive training session to a quieter than usual flat. Ilehana Xavier, Blaze's flatmate and the Professor's animorphing telepathic daughter, was away on some top- secret mission. Blaze made the conscious decision to pamper herself and sooth away the aches of training with a long, hot and soapy shower. She was right in the middle of it when the unexpected knock came at the front door.  
  
"Typical." The redhead mused as the knock was repeated anxiously. "Just a minute!" She pulled a towel around her and trussed up her hair in another before unlatching the door. She didn't know quite what she had expected, but a dejected looking Gambit was not it. Surely he should still be on his date with Rogue? "Hello, come on in."  
  
"You sure?" Remy replied, slightly in a state of shock at the sight of Blaze in nothing but a towel. Blaze stepped away from the door and led the way back into the flat.  
  
"Sure, make yourself at home. Won't be a minute." She disappeared for a matter of seconds, before reappearing dressed in a dark blue cotton jersey- dress that was almost indecently short. She found Gambit where she'd left him, standing like a sore thumb by the doorway. Slightly despairing Blaze ran hot fingers through her wet hair, clouds of steam appearing as she used her mutant power as a hair drier.  
  
"Cool trick." Gambit commented before Blaze sent tiny fireballs dancing around the room to light a succession of candles. He joined her to sit on the sofa, his posture rigid and uncomfortable as she was casually tucking her bare feet under her.  
  
"So what's wrong?" Blaze asked the obvious question, but wasn't prepared for Gambit's answer.  
  
"Rogue seein' someone else." His voice was bitter and hurt.  
  
"You sure?" Blaze was less hasty to jump to conclusions, muttering "Ouch" to Remy's nod. "And it's taken you this long to get here?"  
  
"I didn't plan on it, just bin ridin', and tryin' to clear my head. Next t'ing I know, I'se knockin' on your door."  
  
"Okay, hold that thought. This needs supplies." With that she jumped to her feet and rushed as if her life depended on it to the freezer. Returning to the sofa armed with the largest tub of toffee ice cream Remy had ever seen, two spoons, one bottle of white wine and two glasses, her expression was one of a worried friend.  
  
"What's all this for, Petite?" Gambit asked as he took the bottle of wine to open. A dab of his power and the cork popped out easily.  
  
"Its traditional." Blaze offered, opening the ice cream. "Don't look at me like that, millions of girls worldwide swear by ice cream and wine to make things better. Now spill, what happened?"  
  
And so he told her, ate ice cream and drank wine. Blaze listened avidly, not rushing to defend her teammate nor condemn her rival. By the time he was done, he couldn't tell if it was the wine, ice cream or Blaze that was making him feel better.  
  
"Look Rem." Blaze began when he was done "Rogue may be irritating, self- centred and annoying but one thing she's not is stupid. She knows she's got the best-looking bloke, sorry, guy, in Bayville after her........." He started to protest that this Jonnie was nothing special, before realising that Blaze was grinning at him. Shaking his head that he'd nearly missed her giving him a compliment, he relaxed back into the sofa and kicked off his boots, making Blaze laugh out loud at his holey socks. That made him smile, if only briefly. "Take her to this dance contest the school's running, you never know, it might even be fun. And I'm going, so you'll have back up........."  
  
"You find your high school kid then, Amie?" He teased, making her stick her tongue out at him.  
  
"Okay, technically at this point I'm supposed to top the wine up, ditch the empty ice cream tub and offer you a choice of romantic comedies to watch." Blaze changed the subject succinctly; kicking the empty ice cream tub away and letting Remy top up her glass. "Fortunately the closest I own to one of those is probably a film based around the relationship between a man and his sniper rifle, so it'll have to be blood and guts instead."  
  
"You sure you don't want me to go? I don't wanna intrude?" Gambit couldn't remember the last time he'd sat and watched a film from start to finish. Suddenly the very idea of doing something so nice and ordinary was a stroke of genius.  
  
"'Course not." Blaze's voice was soft as her liquid brown eyes met his own. "Stay as long as you want, you're always welcome at the X-Flat."  
  
"X-Flat? Is that a technical term Chere?"  
  
"Absolutely." Blaze smiled, impulsively leaning over and kissing Gambit's cheek before going to investigate her film collection. Finally Gambit grinned, knocking back the rest of his wine in one self-satisfied swig.  
  
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Gambit became instantly alert when the key touched the metal of the lock outside. Glancing at Blaze he saw that she was still fast asleep, feet tucked up on the sofa and her head on his shoulder. The TV was silent, the early morning light a misty haze across the room. The key turned in the lock and suddenly Remy felt very protective of the girl in his arms.  
  
He needn't have worried, as Vixen told him telepathically as she let herself in. Her X-uniform was nowhere in sight, which meant the Professor's daughter had already been up to the institute to report. At her heels, a large grey wolf followed for all the world like a faithful hound, regarding Gambit somewhat critically with big brown eyes. Gambit shook his head in surprise, knowing that by now at least he should have got used to the shocks these two flatmates sprung on him, but also feeling that he never really would, no matter how long he knew them.  
  
"What time is it?" Blaze asked sleepily, sitting up clumsily and rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Did I sleep here all night? Why didn't you wake me, Gambit? Did you get any sleep at all? When did Ilehana and Ori arrive?"  
  
"I'll put coffee on." Ilehana decided quickly as the wolf named Ori flopped down lazily at Blaze's feet. Seemingly instinctively, Blaze reached out to scratch behind his ears as the wolf's eyes rolled back in pleasure. Watching them, Gambit stretched until Blaze looked up at him, obviously expecting at least some answers.  
  
"I slept fine." He began, trying not to yawn. Ilehana busied herself with the coffee and sugar, trying not to get involved as Blaze and Gambit's eyes met. How easy would it be for the telepathic Vixen to nudge her two friends together? One kiss and Gambit would realise it was not Rogue's kiss he'd fallen for, but Blaze's transferred through Rogue's power. Silently Ilehana admonished herself, she wouldn't ever interfere with her friends like that, holding back her powers even as she felt Blaze's nervously lurching stomach as Gambit's red-on-black eyes bored into her soul. But the moment passed and Gambit was asking Ilehana for three sugars in his coffee, but no milk.  
  
"That's more treacle than coffee. " Ilehana exclaimed, giving Blaze a moment to recover. As if to comfort the redhead, Ori lifted his great head and placed it in her lap, his glance flicking from her to the Cajun, almost as if he was asking her who he was.  
  
"Ori, meet Gambit, Remy, Ori." Blaze did the honours dutifully, and Ilehana was impressed when unprovoked Gambit slowly extended an open palm for the wolf to sniff. Ori obliged, and sneezed, making both young women smile.  
  
"What?" The Cajun asked, though somehow he thought he already knew the answer.  
  
"Ori says you don't smell too bad, and if Blaze likes you, he can put up with you being here." Vixen filled in, bringing steaming coffee over for all three humans. The fourth mutant ordered Blaze to scratch his ears again; her warm fingers were nice in his fur.  
  
"Did he just ask you to do that?" Gambit asked Blaze, as she obliged the wolf. "I'se sure I just heard him........."  
  
"Ilehana has some interesting friends." Blaze replied carefully. "She and Ori go way back, and yes, he's telepathic." The redhead turned to her flatmate. "How did your mission go?"  
  
"Well enough." Ilehana answered, making Gambit conscious that there were still some areas of Blaze and Ilehana's life, and Rogue's of course, that he was not part of. But he could be more involved in others, and this dance contest idea of Blaze's was an interesting one......... Not that Remy le Beau danced. 


	5. 05

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier and Ori = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 05  
  
"Hello children, Daddy not home?" The critical voice of Mystique cut over the row between Quicksilver and Avalanche that was threatening to bring the brotherhood house down, literally. She always wondered how on earth, considering the state of the rest of the house, the pretty glass in the front door managed to stay in one piece.  
  
"What are you doing here?" It was Wanda who answered her.  
  
"In case you've forgotten, this is my house." Mystique pointed out, checking to see if the two other brotherhood members were about. But Blob and Toad weren't home, for which she was grateful. They didn't feature in her plans.  
  
"Yeah well, our Father is in charge around here now, not you Mystique." Pietro was as cocky as ever. Did nothing change?  
  
"And where is he exactly? Still in Vancouver with those narrow-minded gangs? Or has he made it to Europe in his efforts to enlighten the authorities there to the power of mutants? Or maybe you don't know, because his children or not he hasn't seen fit to let you in on his plans?" The coldness of her sarcastic voice irritated the Brotherhood more so because what she was saying was exactly true. They had no idea where Magneto was.  
  
"That still doesn't explain why you're here Mystique. Or what's kept you away from Bayville all this time." Lance pointed out.  
  
"I've been away securing our future," Mystique answered grandly. "I have discovered things that you never thought possible, secret powers that only I can show you how to gain for yourselves........."  
  
For a second all three youngsters looked blankly at her. Then greed filled their young faces, making Mystique smile. The young were too easy to manipulate, always so impulsive and emotional. Her mind drifted to her adopted daughter and her inappropriate alliances. But Rogue was not a problem to be dealing with right now.  
  
"What do you mean?" Wanda asked finally. "What powers? What future?"  
  
"I can answer those questions." Mystique promised. "But not today. It's not yet time." She was rewarded by the disappointment on the three youngster's faces. "But, if you are interested, I think there may be something to keep you occupied in the meantime. I suppose you've heard about the high school dance?"  
  
"Yeah?" Quicksilver asked. "What of it?"  
  
"You may want to attend." Mystique growled. "I have a feeling it might be very interesting........."  
  
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"You wanna take me to the dance?" Rogue asked incredulously. Had the whole world gone mad?  
  
"Ain't that what I just said, Cherie?" Gambit pointed out. He'd grabbed her on the way out of school, rather relieved that Jonnie hadn't been around.  
  
"Why? I don't understand?" Why was she so close to turning him down? Rogue asked herself. Was it because part of her had been hoping that Jonnie would ask her today? He hadn't, and had shown no signs of asking her either. And what was suddenly wrong with Gambit anyway? Looking up at him, she was forced to admit nothing was wrong with him; he was still as gorgeous as ever. So maybe something was wrong with her?  
  
"It not my idea, either Cherie." Gambit was growing impatient, if she was so against being seen with him, why couldn't she just say no already? Did she think this game was fun? "But Blaze thought it'd be good for us to........."  
  
"Blaze thought? Well there's a first time for everythin'." Rogue spat sarcastically. "What she wanna put us through some crummy dance contest for, does she think its some kinda joke?"  
  
"I don't t'ink so, seein' as she goin' too." Gambit replied frowning.  
  
"She is? Who with?" Rogue snapped. "No doubt she thinks she can steal the show or somethin'......... Well not on my turf! You're on, Remy, you can pick me up at seven thirty."  
  
"Sure Chere." Gambit offered not quite sarcastically as she started to walk away from him to where Scott and his car were waiting. "Whatever you say."  
  
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"Hi Golan, how's it going?" Kitty asked as she caught up with her newest friend outside of school. She'd been meaning to catch up with the shy mutant all day, but they had none of the same classes. Still, it didn't mean she hadn't seen him take a few snide comments from other students about his odd appearance, or missed the helpless glances he'd shot in her direction.  
  
"Golan cannot wait to be home, safe and in de dark of de warm earth." He answered without raising his head or looking at her from under his hat.  
  
"Is that where you live? Underground?" Kitty asked. "Can I see?"  
  
"Like to see de home of Golan Kitty would?" The strange boy picked up at the idea, smiling his frog-like smile.  
  
"Of course Golan." Kitty returned the smile. "We're friends, we should hang out together. That is, if you want to?"  
  
"Golan very much like hanging with de Shadowcat. Golan would like to take Kitty to de contest of de dance, but he does not know how to dance. Embarrass his friend Golan must not, for friends Golan does not have many of, and care for Kitty he does."  
  
"I'd love to go to the dance with you, Golan!" Kitty exclaimed. "And don't worry about not being able to dance, I can teach you. It'll be fun, I promise!"  
  
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"Wow." Kitty couldn't help but be impressed. After wandering down twisting, turning passage that seemed as if they had been carved out of the soil underneath Bayville by some kind of giant mole, and they were suddenly in what must be Golan's home. The chamber was huge, a giant dome of brown earth lit with hastily adapted electric lights that must be plugged into the town's main supply. Scattered wooden packing crates looked like they were used as chairs or tables, and there was a makeshift bed in one corner, but not much else. Kitty could hardly believe someone could live down here, but it didn't take away the impressiveness of the giant room. "You know, this would make one excellent dance hall. We could, like, throw the best party down here and no one would ever think of complaining about the noise! Wait here, I'm gonna run back to the mansion and get a stereo and some snacks, then we can totally get these dance lessons going!"  
  
Golan nodded eagerly, throwing his hat across the space and stripping off his thick coat, stretching his extra arms as Kitty ran back the way they had come. Not fifteen minutes had passed before she was back, armed with a stereo as promised and accompanied by two boys bearing crisps and drinks. Golan became suddenly very defensive at the sight of the two strangers, his eyes rolled back in his head, his four arms extended and all around him the earth began to shake. Clods fell from the ceiling as both boys gasped and tried to shield their heads. Kitty ran forwards, taking Golan's wrist.  
  
"Golan, no! They're friends, I promise" Golan blinked at her, eyelids flicking across his eyes. Kitty smiled her most encouraging smile, and turned to do the introductions. "Golan, this is Iceman and this is Cannonball. They're coming to the dance on Friday too, and they can't dance either!" She couldn't keep the humour from her voice, making Golan smile. "I thought we could all, like, practice together?"  
  
Slowly, Golan nodded. Bobby and Cannonball breathed a collective sigh of relief, making Kitty laugh as she flicked on the stereo at full volume. Time to have some fun! 


	6. 06

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier and Ori = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: Large chunks of this chapter are taken from Corrinth's 'Guardians of Destiny' X-Men the Movie fic, with huge thanks. All reviews very much appreciated. # = telepathic speech.  
  
Scene 06  
  
#You can feel it, can't you. # It was not a question. She would not speak of it aloud; Ilehana was too afraid that someone might overhear.  
  
#Yes, I feel it. But more than that, I feel your fear. You must not fear this power Ilehana; it is a great gift. # Xavier touched minds with his daughter, a similar sensation to resting his forehead against hers. #We must test it and find out what you can do with it. #  
  
#That's what scares me. Reach out, Dad, reach out to someone, it doesn't matter who. #  
  
Xavier frowned a little, but he trusted his daughter, and so he closed his eyes. In his mind's eye he saw his power and reached out to Logan, whom he knew would not mind helping in this experiment since it involved Ilehana. But before he could reach into Logan's mind, he came up against a wall of his daughter's energy. He pushed against it, but the wall remained unrelenting. Then it moved, pushing back against him. He pressed his all his will on just one point, trying to break through the wall like a needle might pierce a piece of paper. He could feel the sweat running down his neck with the effort but Ilehana was ruthless, encasing his power in her wall until it was paralysed within him - as useless as his legs.  
  
When she released him, Xavier took a moment to re-establish his power, noticing how his daughter shut herself off from him entirely. Ilehana, tears of terror rolling silently down her cheeks, looked as fresh as ever, while he knew he was red and sweating with his efforts.  
  
"That wasn't even hard. I could have smothered your power before you'd even begun to form it." Her tone was cold, hard, and there was no trace of pride. "I can't control this, Dad. It's swamping me......... taking over."  
  
"I can help, if you'll permit it."  
  
She nodded her assent, and Xavier felt her open her mind to him once more. He connected with her again, helped her reinforce barriers against this new and extreme power. And as he did so, he came across a random thought that flicked through her mind without intention on either of their parts. #The one whose power grows day by day, who must give up her human life for the Guardians to rise. #  
  
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Ori rested his head on her knee, looking up at her from his deep brown eyes, concerned. Ilehana, back leant against a tree on the lawn, smiled down at him, but she could not even begin to mask the shame in her eyes. If it weren't for him, she would have lost control already. It had been to easy for her to ignore the changes in her powers recently, the swelling of them to overwhelming proportions. She had blamed her work with the X-Men for focusing her talents, her worry over Blaze's whereabouts for her bad moods and constant headaches. But when the X-Men had recovered Blaze from Vancouver, it became obvious to Ilehana that she could not deny what was happening to her anymore. And it scared her.  
  
When she'd arrived in Ori's pack's territory, mind seething with power, he had sensed her terror immediately. Somehow she'd known that he alone could help her, his wolfish presence sombre and calming in the way no human's mind ever was, and Ori had helped without question. A cry for help in the pack never went unanswered, and for now Ori was content to be at her side, where he was needed, even if it meant for Vixen's sake leaving his home and pack behind.  
  
"Can you talk about it?" Logan came and sat down besides her, ignoring the twitching ears of the charcoal grey wolf as he tried to get Wolverine to scratch behind them. "What's scaring you? What's happening to your powers?"  
  
"No." Ilehana sighed and leant her pretty head on his strong shoulder. With a sneeze of mild disappointment, Ori got up and wandered off. If he wasn't going to get an ear scratch here, maybe someone would cook him some bacon? Logan wrapped his arm around Vixen's shoulders supportively, waiting for her to explain why she was pushing him away again. "Its not time yet." Ilehana told him. "And that scares me most of all, its going to get much worse before it will stop........."  
  
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"Where are you going, Elf?" Someone asked Kurt as he, Jubilee and Magma made their break for the door. If Scott caught them, they were in for it big style, he'd a training session organised that it looked like only he would be going to.  
  
"Oh, Rogue, its you." Nightcrawler sighed his relief, even as Rogue rolled her eyes.  
  
"Who else would I be? You sneakin' out?"  
  
"We're going to Golan's." The fuzzy blue elf replied. "Kitty's running dance lessons, and its our last chance to get some practice before tomorrow night's contest." Kurt grinned cheekily before saying "You should come along, Rogue, it's the coolest spot. And you never know, it might help you beat Blaze?"  
  
"I am not goin' to this thing to beat the Firefly." Rogue pouted. "Only because Gambit asked me, okay?"  
  
"Suit yourself." Kurt shrugged, still grinning. "Are you coming or not?"  
  
"Heck why not? It'd have to be dire to not be better than another of Scott's sessions in the Danger Room."  
  
"Then lets go!" Kurt grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the door. "Because here he comes!"  
  
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Golan's den had never looked so nice, he thought as he looked around it. Kitty and her friends, his friends he corrected himself smiling, had strung up fairy lights across the ceiling. He had an old sofa someone had dragged down here for him, and Kitty's stereo was now a permanent fixture. He'd played his part, making it easier for his friends to come visit by digging a tunnel almost all the way into the Institute's grounds, and in the opposite direction to the grounds of the high school. And now here they were, most of the X-Men, his friends. Coming to Bayville had been the best idea he had ever had, and he even looked forward to going to school in the morning. Everyone laughed as Cannonball yet again forgot to duck as he entered from the institute tunnel, and walloped his head on the low dirt ceiling, Golan the loudest of all. Life was good. 


	7. 07

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier and Ori = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 07  
  
"Kitty, can I ask your opinion?" Jean grabbed the younger girl as she walked towards her bedroom, whisking her into Jean's own room. "Do I wear the cream," The redhead held up a pasty coloured strappy top, before throwing it on her bed. "Or the blue?" The blue top was strapless, shot through with silver threads.  
  
"The blue, definitely." Kitty answered as outside all chaos broke loose as Scott and Kurt fought over what music was best to get ready to.  
  
"Give it a rest, guys." Rogue commented, fighting her way through to the bathroom with a towel in hand. How come seven thirty had seemed like hours away all afternoon, but now suddenly it was quarter to seven and she'd not even started to get ready? It was always the same, but at least every other kid at the institute was having the same crisis. "Hey Kitty, what are you wearin'?"  
  
"Who knows?" Kitty called back, dodging a ball of ice as Iceman tried to nail Omara for singeing his new shirt. "Whatever's ironed I guess. Scott if you're looking for your hair gel, Berserker borrowed it last week and accidentally toasted it."  
  
"Oh great." Cyclops sulked. "Jean, you are wearing the top I bought for you, aren't you?"  
  
"Um, yeah." Jean smiled sweetly at her boyfriend until he'd walked past. Telepathically she appealed to Kurt, making the German mutant laugh out loud. #Which top was that? #  
  
"Ray, Blaze is here!" Storm called from downstairs to be echoed by Blaze's shout of "And if you're not in three seconds, I'm taking Cannonball instead!"  
  
"Comin' through!" Berserker legged it down the corridor, tossing a pot of hair gel at Scott as he did. "Sorry 'bout the last lot, but here, Bobby wont mind you stealing his!" Flying through the air, the lid came off the gel pot at the apex of its flight, drenching Scott in purple goop and sending Kurt and Kitty both into spasms of laughter. "Sorry!" Berserker span round to wave bye, and disappeared downstairs as Scott wiped the gel from his shades despairingly.  
  
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Not surprisingly, Rogue was running late. It took her far longer than usual to decide on an ankle length black skirt and a dark green top with flared sleeves and a low neckline. Equally unsurprising, Gambit was running late too. Everybody else, that is, all the institute students who were going to the dance, had already left by the time he got to the mansion. By the time they arrived at the dance, Blaze was already corrupting a choice selection of Bayville students, human and mutant, with a few lessons in drinking games involving the gloopy fruit punch the school had provided. Kurt thought his sides would split when Scott actually missed his mouth, spilling the reddish liquid down the front of his fortunately similarly coloured shirt.  
  
On the stage, Jonnie was cranking up the volume on the music system and flicking through a large CD collection. Rogue felt a huge relief, so that was why he hadn't asked her out, not because he had asked someone else, but because he was DJ for the night. She risked a wave in his direction, and he returned it with a smile. Gambit folded his arms.  
  
"Go say 'hi' already Cherie, I get us some drinks."  
  
"Fine." Rogue replied, knowing he was going to talk to Blaze as much as get drinks. Gambit walked away without a backwards glance, making Rogue mutter. "Some date this is."  
  
"You made it!" Blaze exclaimed as she extracted herself from the other X- Men to greet her friend. She'd outdone herself tonight, Gambit realised, in a strapless silk black dress with ruffle trim to the skirt combined with knee high black boots.  
  
"How you expect that dress to stay up all night, Cherie?" He asked, unable to draw his eyes from it to her face. Blaze didn't laugh, stepping a little too close to him as she replied.  
  
"Who says I expect it to?" She cracked up completely as he met her eyes, before Berserker cleared his throat by her shoulder. Blaze stepped back from Gambit obediently and turned her giddy smile on her date. "Take it you've met Gambit, Ray?"  
  
"Once or twice." Ray replied, accepting Gambit's outstretched hand and shaking it. "You guys got drinks?"  
  
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"I'm glad you came Rogue." Jonnie offered her a hand up onto the stage. "I used to do this thing all the time at my last school, but I've no idea what I'm getting myself into here........."  
  
"I'm sure you'll do fine." Rogue reassured him with a smile.  
  
"Looks like that Gambit guy of yours is fitting right in anyway." Jonnie pointed out, nodding to where Gambit and Blaze were discussing her outfit. "Who's the redhead?"  
  
"That li'l tramp!" Rogue seethed as she watched Berserker enter the conversation and all three mutants move towards the drinks stand. "Her name's Blaze, she's one of the X-Men, Ilehana Xavier's li'l pet project.........."  
  
"Hey don't worry about it." Jonnie offered, smiling. "Whoever she is, she's not a patch on you." Rogue returned his smile, before making a move to go reclaim Remy. "Good luck!" Jonnie called after her, watching her go. Mystique's yellow eyes flashed briefly behind her disguise. Breaking Gambit and Rogue up was going to be even easier than she'd thought.........  
  
As if on cue, Quicksilver and Avalanche entered the pleasantly decorated hall, each with a female student on his arm. Across the room Kitty's mouth dropped open as Lance entered with someone else. His brooding eyes met her blue ones briefly, before he pointedly looked away. Besides Shadowcat, Golan peered unblinking at the Brotherhood of Mutants member, extra arms twitching underneath the smart jacket Jean had adapted for him.  
  
"You know dis person who enters with de white-haired one?" He asked Kitty carefully.  
  
"Yeah I know him." Kitty pouted, folding her arms across as she watched Lance fetch his date a drink.  
  
"You wish maybe to talk to him?" Golan prompted. "Golan does not mind if Kitty does what she wishes, Golan is here as Kitty's friend, does not expect to be able to keep her here all night........."  
  
"Yeah well, I wish the same could be said for her, whoever she is." Kitty sulked, turning her back on Lance and his date as Golan patted his friend's shoulder comfortingly.  
  
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"I got our numbers." Rogue brandished two slips of paper with printed numbers on at Gambit, who held up his hands to protest.  
  
"I said we should come tonight, but I didn't mean enter this t'ing."  
  
"Too late to back out, Cajun." Rogue pointed out, pinning his number to his sleeve. "An' I ain't been practicin' for nothin'."  
  
"Practicin'?" Gambit smirked as he let himself be led onto the dance floor. "No, wait Rogue, seriously I can't dance!"  
  
"Well that's tough, 'cause I ain't gonna let Jean or Blaze beat me, okay?" Looking up at him, she had to smile; he looked terrified. "Hey, where's the big tough bad guy who had us X-Men runnin' scared not so long ago?" She flattered him as he shook his head and shrugged. But at least he smiled too as Jonnie called the contestants onto the dance floor. Here goes nothing......... 


	8. 08

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier and Ori = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 08  
  
"Okay gang listen good!" Jonnie called from the DJ podium. "The rules for tonight are like this. You've all got your numbers. Principle Kelly, Miss Gallagher our lovely Maths teacher, and Miss Jones our PE instructor are the judges for the night. You hear your number called out by any of them, or by me, I'm afraid your out, so get your ugly backsides off the dance floor." Jonnie grinned to show he didn't mean the insult, but Mystique had to force it. "That's about it, so enjoy yourselves! Lets hit it!"  
  
Music suddenly blared out loudly over the sound system, and a hundred couples moved in time with it. The judges let them all have one song, but then the numbers started coming thick and fast.  
  
"109" Kelly's voice called out over the loud speaker. Scott glanced at the number on his arm, then back at Jean.  
  
"I'm sorry Jean, I blew it didn't I?" Jean took his arm and led him gently from the dance floor through the crowds of teenagers.  
  
"That's okay Scott. At least we're not the first X-Men to be disqualified." She tried to keep the disappointment from her voice, but Jean Grey wasn't used to losing.  
  
"Actually, I think we are." Scott pointed out, but at the same moment one of the female judges announced, "46, the pair of you are laughing more than dancing!"  
  
"Hey, you can't have everything!" Kurt cheerfully admitted defeat, leading his smiling girlfriend Amanda over to Scott and Jean.  
  
"Will you look at Ray and Blaze go?" Scott pointed out, awe in his voice. "I didn't think dancing that well was even possible."  
  
"You wouldn't." Jean teased, nudging her boyfriend with her hip and smiling. "Rogue and Gambit aren't doing to badly either, though it'd be nice if they could at least smile........."  
  
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Most of the X-Men had long since been disqualified, and Kitty was shocked to find herself and Golan still going despite him not being the most natural dancer in the world. So what if Lance was here with someone else, she could still have fun, and Golan was obviously enjoying himself. Suddenly she stepped backwards only to find there wasn't a space and she crashed into someone, sending them both to the floor.  
  
"Oh, sorry!" She apologised, getting to her knees.  
  
"No problem." Lance replied, then realised who it was he was talking to. "Oh, Kitty, hi."  
  
"Numbers 83 and 107, this is a dance contest not a social event." Kelly's voice droned over the loudspeaker.  
  
"Now look what you've gone and done you clumsy oaf!" Lance's date glowered at Kitty, hands on her hips as both Shadowcat and Avalanche got to their feet. "You've gone and got us disqualified! I should just........."  
  
"Leave her alone!" Lance stepped between Kitty and his advancing date. "It was an accident."  
  
"Yeah I'll bet." The date replied sarcastically, turning to leave. "This date is so over Lance."  
  
"No, Sam, wait........." Lance set off after her.  
  
"Come Kitty." Golan took hold of her arm, his eyes sympathetic. "De X-men is better friends, Kitty and Golan should talk to dem now de dancing part is done........."  
  
"I guess you're right." Kitty sighed. "Lets go find the others."  
  
"Kitty!" Rogue grabbed her wrist as they walked past her and Gambit. "You gotta help me! Blaze is so trouncin' us!"  
  
"What? No way Rogue, that's taking things a little too far!"  
  
"Oh c'mon Kitty, you've done it before, just concentrate!" Rogue whipped off a glove and ever so briefly touched fingertips with Kitty. In an instant she knew all of Shadowcat's famous moves, and was smiling her thanks at a dazed looking Kitty. Golan took Kitty to sit down. "What are you just stood there for?" Rogue grinned up at Gambit. "This contest is totally, like, ours now!"  
  
Gambit shrugged, smiled and began dancing again, very conscious that he looked like a dying chicken. Rogue was suddenly away, the change in her dancing style and even the way she spoke so like Shadowcat it was almost unreal. Abruptly, Gambit realised something. He stopped dancing. His brooding red-on-black eyes glanced from Rogue to Blaze, dancing like a girl possessed with Berserker. So it wasn't just powers or energies that Rogue stole when she touched somebody, but their whole personality......... Every memory, idea......... Every feeling?  
  
"Well," Jonnie interrupted Gambit's train of thought as the last few remaining couples turned to look up at the DJ. "It looks like we've got our finalists people! I'd like to ask couples numbered 57, 28, 75, 130 and 118 to line up across the dance floor in that order. Yeah, that's right, ladies on one side, gentlemen on the other."  
  
"What the heck is DJ-Jonnie playing at?" Blaze asked Berserker, who shrugged as they took their places at one end of the line. Quicksilver and his date had made it to the final too, second to the other end, whilst Remy and Rogue stood at the far side of them. Blaze didn't know the other two couples, or Quicksilver's date, but that was only to be expected.  
  
"Cool." Jonnie exclaimed enthusiastically. "Now to shake things up a little, what d'you say people!" He raised his hands, beckoning the disqualified students to speak up. They cheered, clapping and wolf whistling even though none of them had a clue what was going on either. "You see back at my old school, we had a twist for the end of every dance contest. I don't wanna give first place to some guy whose girlfriend is totally covering for him!" More whoops and hollers from the crowd as Jonnie looked pointedly at Gambit. The Cajun folded his arms and wished the floor would swallow him up, but Jonnie had other things planned.  
  
"So, if the redheaded young lady in the revealing black dress could take a step back?" Jonnie inquired sweetly. Blaze glanced about, noting how the crowd around them whispered and laughed amongst themselves, then did as she was told. "And now if all the other girls could scoot down one place, the redhead can rejoin her new dance partner at the top of the line?" Blaze suddenly realised exactly what was going on, this was all to split Rogue and Gambit up, maybe just for the night, maybe forever! Quicksilver did not look impressed as Rogue shifted down one place, the Southern girl scowling alternately at Pietro, Jonnie, Gambit and finally Blaze as she took her place. At the other end of the line, Berserker smiled at his new partner, a pretty little brunette called Eliza who looked back at him coyly.  
  
"No way." Rogue put her hands on her hips to stop her from punching someone. "This isn't fair! What's Jonnie think he's playing at anyway?"  
  
"Give it a rest, Rogue." Blaze told her teammate. "Seems his plan's been to split you and Remy up ever since he got to Bayville........."  
  
"This ain't exactly my idea of fun, either." Quicksilver pointed out unnecessarily. "But there's no way I'm gonna be beat by one of you X- geeks," Blaze pulled a face at him. "And as for you," He turned to Gambit, "When my Father finds out that you're fraternising with the X-Men, he is gonna totally rip you to pieces!"  
  
"Fraternising," Blaze cut in, pushing Remy away from the temptation to land a punch in Pietro's face with a hand to his chest. "That's four syllables, Pietro. I didn't realise you knew words that long."  
  
"Places people!" Jonnie yelled, lifting a hand into the air. "Lets rock this town!" 


	9. 09

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier and Ori = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 09  
  
"I need to talk to you, Blaze." Gambit spoke hastily as they moved away from the other finalists.  
  
"Sure," Blaze replied, shaking her mane of red hair back from her face as if to dispel the anxiety Jonnie's actions had caused. What did she care if Gambit and Rogue broke up? Mentally she scolded herself for that thought, of course she cared, Gambit was her friend and she'd give anything for him to be happy. "But not now, okay?" She smiled at him, an infective grin of a girl who loved to dance. "Maybe after we've shown these kids how to party!"  
  
Jonnie's arm dropped, the music reached a new level of loudness and Blaze's awareness of the other contestants, the watching crowds, even Gambit dimmed as her eyes half-closed. The music throbbed relentlessly through her blood like the fire that she was made of. She didn't wave her arms about vaguely or stamp her feet like so many of these kids, her whole body moved with the music, she breathed with it, and Gambit found it impossible not to dance with her, much too fast and way too close.........  
  
Rogue and Quicksilver could not have been more the opposite, each determined to show the other up they were disjointed and uncomfortable. Although hating to be beaten, they were both rather glad when their numbers were called out by a bored sounding Principle Kelly.  
  
"Bad luck Rogue," Scott consoled his friend as she extracted herself from the dance floor. "Hey at least you lasted longer than me and Jean, by a few hours!"  
  
"Huh." Rogue didn't laugh, pushed passed Scott and made her way to the base of the DJ podium. Jonnie gave her a hand up, green eyes sparkling. Rogue's eyes were just angry.  
  
"Don't ask me why I did that." He told her, leaning close to shout in her ear over the noise of the music. "You're too good for him Rogue, let the redhead have him; she's about cheap enough."  
  
"I don't like people who try an' run my life for me!" Rogue shouted back.  
  
"Not even people who care about you? People who want nothing but the best for you Rogue?" Jonnie/Mystique replied, making Rogue drop her eyes, ashamed and impressed equally by the new student's honesty about his feelings for her. He smiled and she returned it, before he spoke again. "Here, have a go at this!" He pulled her in front of him and showed her how to work his DJ-technology. "This whole thing's a piece of cake!" He flicked on the microphone for the loud speaker and called out over the music as Rogue accommodatingly turned down the volume. "I think we have our champions people!"  
  
Blaze and Gambit glanced about vaguely as the music stopped and they realised they weren't alone, but surrounded by people......... There was only one other pair on the dance floor; Berserker was talking sweetly to little Eliza, making her giggle and blush. Blaze wasn't surprised when Ray and Eliza were called up to the stage to be declared winners, turned to Gambit with a smile and a shrug.  
  
"Looks like I'm dumped."  
  
"Never mind eh Petite, there be plenty more rats in the swamp." He consoled her, patting her bare shoulder with his hand.  
  
"Huh, looks like you're not far behind me swamp rat." Blaze pointed out sombrely, nodding to where Rogue and Jonnie were stood side by side on the podium. "I'm sorry Remy."  
  
"People ain't always who you t'ink they are." He replied quietly, frowning. Blaze didn't pick up on it.  
  
"Well, I'd best go offer my congratulations." She ducked out from under the hand he had rested on her shoulder and wandered off towards Berserker. "Catch up with you in minute with some drinks?" She called back over her shoulder, to which Remy nodded. Rogue seemed to have the knack of being a DJ as she put on a new track, letting all the competition losers party again. Jonnie had disappeared, but still Remy couldn't find the backbone to go get confirmation off Rogue that he was dumped. He wandered off, finding a quiet spot to do some thinking before Blaze reappeared. He didn't have long to mull things over.  
  
"Poor you, Gambit." Her voice was harder than he had expected, more like the fire-consumed Blaze than the comparatively chilled version she'd been since accepting the Xaviers' help. "You just have no luck trying to fit in anywhere, do you?"  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked, confusion plain on his face as she stepped very close to him, looked up and smiled coldly.  
  
"You've betrayed Magneto, he will never let you work for him again. In fact if I know anything about him he will want you dead........."  
  
"But you........." Gambit didn't understand, but Blaze put a cool finger to his lips to quiet him.  
  
"And now Rogue has gone and decided you're not good enough for her either. Why should she want to spend time with a back-stabbing thief with whom she has nothing in common?" Blaze dropped her smile; pupils narrow as she caressed his jaw with her fingers. "So I guess the question is, just where do you belong?"  
  
"I was hopin' you could tell me that?" Remy asked pointedly, unthinkingly lowering his mouth to hers. He wasn't surprised when she stepped away, hand dropping to her side. It just wasn't his day.  
  
"Not with me." Blaze was almost laughing at him that he could even think it. "I'm an X-Man, Gambit, something you can never be. Heart, body, soul I belong with the Xaviers, and you just can't compete........." She turned her back on him and walked away, Mystique's cold sneer on her lips.  
  
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"Here let me introduce you to my friends." Berserker guided Eliza towards the approaching X-Men. Scott, Jean, Kitty, Golan and Blaze were all smiling as they were introduced, but the smiles didn't last long as Eliza's original date tapped Ray on the shoulder.  
  
"What do you think you're doing with my girlfriend, Ray?" The teenager sneered, meeting Berserker's eyes levelly. Putting his hands to Ray's chest, the boy pushed him backwards and slightly off balance. "Keep your scummy mutey eyes off of her, unless you want me to gauge them out for you?"  
  
"Hey its not my fault she'd rather be seen with me than you, Mikey. You can't blame a girl for having taste." Ray seethed back, putting himself between Mikey and Eliza.  
  
"Don't do this, Berserker........." Jean warned as Scott came to his team member's side and put a calming hand on his arm. Berserker shrugged him off, coming to a fighting posture as Mikey did the same.  
  
"Mikey, Ray, please don't fight." Eliza begged, but even as Berserker did as she asked and dropped his fighting stance, Mikey was taking matters into his own hands.  
  
"This scum's a mutant! He cheated in the contest and now he's brainwashing my girl!" He shouted louder than the music, making everyone in the hall look over at them. Someone took the accusations to heart, shouting out "Lets get him!" As one the crowd surged forward. The X-Men, Cyclops leading and dragging Berserker, detached themselves from the crowd to regroup below the stage. Rogue leapt down to join them in facing off most of the rest of the school, while the smarter students began to leave. Cyclops was relieved to see Kurt ushering the other X-Men away unnoticed.  
  
"What are you stood around back here for?" Mystique's voice made Quicksilver and Avalanche jump to attention in the corner they were lounging in. "Get over there now!" She nudged them both forward, not allowing them a second to think about it.  
  
Gambit had been leaving. The school, Bayville, there didn't seem like any reason to stick around anymore. But the sound of voices raised and threatening mutants gave his bad mood something to writhe against, so he too moved to pick a fight, arriving besides the X-Men at the same time as Quicksilver and Avalanche.  
  
"We don't want to hurt you!" Jean shouted out, scared by the bloodlust in the eyes of her fellow students. She hadn't realised so many of them hated mutants this badly. Rogue was less surprised, noting Maria by Mikey's side with a scowl on her face and actually armed with what looked like a chair leg. The X-Men might not want to hurt them, but they sure as anything wanted to hurt the X-Men......... 


	10. 10

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier and Ori = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 10  
  
"You're implying that you could?" Maria snarled. "I know you mutants, cowards and liars and thieves the lot of you! You don't scare me!"  
  
"I've made you scream before," Blaze shouted back. "And I can do it again, girl."  
  
"Blaze, no!" Cyclops ordered. "Back off gang, we are not going to do this."  
  
"Speak for yourself!" Lance argued. "You want some of this? Come and get it!" With that he rolled his eyes back in his head and the building shook. Quicksilver seized his moment as the crowd were unnerved, running through them fast enough to create a drag that sent more than one would-be rioter to the floor. Gambit charged a playing card and flung it down in front of the crowd, driving them back with the force of the explosion. It worked for a second, but then the crowd ran forward again, sheer weight of numbers pressing them into the mutants whilst the X-Men fought to stay together and find a way out. Cyclops blasted a hole in the school's wall as Jean set up a telekinetic barrier that repelled bodies, thrown chairs and plastic cups.  
  
"Make for Golan's tunnel!" Kitty yelled out above the noise, pushing Golan along in front of her. The school's newest mutant was dazed and confused, but the mention of his tunnels seemed to give him strength of mind.  
  
"Yes, yes, de tunnels to de big hall, den on to de home of de X-Men!" He agreed, suddenly turning the tables on Kitty, grabbing her wrist with one of his hands and dragging her forward as his others undid the restricting jacket, letting it fall to the floor as his four arms were freed.  
  
"Gambit!" Blaze yelled, pushing back past Cyclops and Jean to where the two Brotherhood members infuriated the crowd with Gambit's help. She managed to get a warm hand to his bare arm, pleading "Don't, its not worth it! Come with us........."  
  
"Why?" He threw off her grip sharply, holding a charged card in his fingers aggressively. "So I can bask in the presence of the wonderful Xaviers? So you can keep in tellin' me how I don't belong anywhere? How I don't belong with you?" He turned his back on her and unleashed his frustration in a card aimed at the wall of the building. The wall collapsed, blocking the hole Cyclops had made and slowing down a lot of the infuriated mob.  
  
"Blaze c'mon, he ain't worth it!" Rogue was the one to grab hold of Blaze and drag her away.  
  
"But........." Blaze gasped as she ran, tears falling down her cheeks. "But I never said anything like that!"  
  
"Don't think about it! Here they come again!" Rogue was right, whilst some of the mob stayed to fight Gambit, Avalanche and Quicksilver; a lot of those who Gambit had trapped inside had instead used the fire door and were now streaming across the grass. "They're gonna cut us off from the tunnel!"  
  
"Not if I can help it!" Blaze threw out a hand, and a stretch of grass burst into flames, running wild to cut across the path of the rioters. Still Blaze and Rogue had to dodge hurled missiles, but both were athletic enough and suddenly they were tumbling through a thick hedge and into Golan's tunnel.  
  
"It wont hold them for long." Blaze gasped as she pushed past Cyclops to climb further into the tunnel, "They're still going to find the tunnel and they are not going to stop."  
  
"Get moving." Scott ordered. "Our only hope is to make it back to the mansion." Jean, Kitty, Berserker, Golan and Rogue nodded, but Blaze was too busy smudging tears from her face. The whole team ran for it as the first sounds of their pursuers discovering the tunnel echoed down from ground level. But no matter how fast they ran, the mob ran faster, its own weight hurling it forward like a landslide. By the time they ran into the expanse of Golan's big chamber, the high school students were only seconds behind.  
  
"We're not gonna make it!" Berserker cried.  
  
"De X-Men must run." Golan was remarkably calm. "Golan will stay and defend his friends."  
  
"Golan, no!" Kitty was aghast. "We can't let you or them get hurt, its not who the X-Men are!"  
  
"No, no one hurt Golan will, nor dey hurt him. But de earth is Golan's friend also, de earth will help Golan stop de annoying children."  
  
"Alright." Cyclops took charge. "Do your thing Golan, but Kitty stays too. Whatever you're doing, do it quickly and phase into the institute tunnel........."  
  
"I understand." Golan nodded solemnly, all his babbling speech gone as he realised his duty. "Golan will look after Shadowcat, but de X-Men must go now."  
  
Cyclops nodded solemnly, putting his hand in one of Golan's many and shaking it. "Welcome to the team."  
  
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The mob of teenagers reached the big chamber, slowing their charge in awe of the bizarre structure underneath their town. Were those fairy lights the mutants had strung up in their den? Kitty and Golan suddenly phased through the wall ahead of the rabble, making every last member jump out of their skin.  
  
"You might wanna, like, turn around and get out of here." Kitty advised patiently. Besides her Golan grinned and nodded, flexing the muscles in his short stocky arms. "You're not gonna like it if Golan gets mad."  
  
"What's he gonna do, tickle us to death with all those hands of his?" One of the braver kids asked, but as he stepped forward Golan lifted his face to the ceiling. His arms grasping at nothing, his big eyes rolled back unseeing and above the fairy lights quivered to betray the tremor he caused in the soil. "What the?" The boy asked, face upturned as dirt began to slowly drift to the ground.  
  
"Lets get out of here! The whole place is gonna cave in!" One bright teenager spotted. The fairy lights fell, spluttering and dying as they were wrenched from their power supply. After them at Golan's command sods of earth fractured from the ceiling, making the retreating teenagers shelter their heads with their hands. Bigger lumps fell as the kids made it to the narrow tunnel opening, preventing them from turning back. Kitty concentrated hard, holding hands with one of Golan's as the earth moved beyond his control, falling as and where it wanted. Pebbles and rocks were like dropping daggers, but Kitty phased them both through the earth's attack.  
  
"Time to go, Golan!" She shouted over the noise of crumbling earth.  
  
"Golan's home, gone it is now and soon destroyed........." Golan's voice was full of woe, but he let Kitty drag him, phasing through the falling rock to the institute tunnel and the waiting X-Men.  
  
"So we'll just have to make room for you at the institute." Kitty smiled. "Now that you're an X-Man."  
  
Behind them, the earth gave way like a shattered backbone, its very being falling unprotected and broken to cave in on itself, paralysed. The landslide swamped up both tunnels like a flood of dirt and mud and destruction. The school pupils barely made it back to Bayville High's grassy grounds. The X-Men cut it much closer, the landslide clogging their lungs with vile soil, making them splutter and cough. But at least, Blaze had to admit, they were all alive and uninjured. She could only hope the same was true for Gambit......... 


	11. 11

Disclaimer: X-Men = Marvel's, Ilehana Xavier and Ori = Corrinth's, Golan = Star's, Blaze and all other OCs = Lamby's  
  
A/N: All reviews very much appreciated.  
  
Scene 11  
  
Damn that'd hurt in the morning! Gambit swore mentally as some dratted kid pelted him with what looked like part of a desk. Not caring that these brats were after all just that, obnoxious kids with an attitude problem, he rained down more cards just in front of the crowd, driving them back. Lance fought with him, both mutants drawing away from the school as the ground bucked and heaved below them. Only Gambit's agility saved him from falling as Lance didn't hold back; taking out all his frustrations on the Bayville High students with the earth that was his toy. Quicksilver was a zephyr of frantic wind, zipping through the crowd, scything them with his passage as he fought too to teach them how to respect mutants.  
  
Blue energy, pure and unsullied, extracted Quicksilver from the crowd, before the streetlights themselves turned against the student body, wrapping and writhing like great serpents as they drove the crowd back, exploding. Gambit's spirits were raised when a bolt of fire ran hot and red to crack the concrete and set alight the grass itself. But when he turned to see what strange alliance had been formed behind him and Avalanche, it was Pyro and not Blaze who commanded the fire, eyes distorted by the reflected flames within them. Besides him Colossus raised a metallic fist. It slammed down heavily and abruptly onto the bonnet of a car parked unfortunately close. The car back flipped through the air, landing with a crunch just in front of Gambit. Heck, they could have just asked him to move!  
  
Mystique stood by Wanda's side; the blue-skinned metamorph laughing heartily as the student mob finally turned tails and ran. To Gambit's palpable surprise Pyro and Colossus went to flank her. Obviously he wasn't the only one of Magneto's men to have made alliances with the enemy during the Master of Magnetism's absence. Wanda set her brother down besides her, Avalanche dutifully lowering his eyes and going to stand on the other side of Magneto's children. There was something big going on here, all Gambit's thief's instincts were screaming it at him. And he seemed to be the only one who didn't know what it was.  
  
"Poor Gambit." Mystique stepped forward, expression more of disgust than of sympathy. "A rebel without a cause, or is it a ladies' man without a woman?" Pyro and Quicksilver laughed as Colossus and Lance smirked. Wanda simply rolled her eyes.  
  
"What you know 'bout anythin', Mystique?" Remy snapped.  
  
"I know that you are far more important that even you realise, Remy le Beau." She told him, stepping close enough that the others had to strain to hear what passed between them. "I know that you are a key to a greater power than has been seen on this earth for the entire of human history. I know," She paused, long fingers brushing his beard as she smiled. "That I alone can offer you now that which you seek........."  
  
"What you know 'bout what I want?" Gambit replied, but much less abruptly than he had originally spoken. Mystique already knew she had him, all the pieces were falling into place and soon, very soon she would have more power than she had ever been capable of imagining.  
  
"You are a restless soul, a key, seeking a lock that you fit so that you might briefly know what it is to belong." Mystique's voice was grand and empty, like a huge house of worship, once worship has grown tired and dim.  
  
"I'se a thief." Gambit pointed out. "Only t'ing I know 'bout locks is how to pick 'em."  
  
"Do you want the power or not?" Mystique dropped the grandness and asked him straight. He may like games, but she knew there were bigger things at stake. Slowly, as if trying to work out what the catch was, he nodded. "Very well." With empty eyes Mystique assessed her new team. Wanda's scowl showed energetic tenacity, Lance's brooding an earthly judgment, Quicksilver of air, Pyro the fire-elemental, Colossus of metal more than flesh, water she was already prepared for, and she......... She, Mystique, would be the most powerful of all, she who could fool the eye and the mind, she who was above the clawing grasp of even the most powerful telepaths. She would see her place marked on the temple floor and gain for herself the ancient powers of the Guardian of Thought, Guardian of Destiny.  
  
Fully understanding what it was she would be asking Gambit to do, her eyes fell on him without sympathy. Only he would do, her Key, the one who would unleash the powers of the Chosen One. The Chosen One. The words echoed empty around her head, and she could feel no remorse.  
  
"We are almost ready." She told them, appreciating their eagerness. "There is but one thing we must lay claim to......... The prophecies all point to a Chosen One, the world's most powerful telepath........."  
  
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"Ilehana I........." Charles Xavier, hot and flustered and very, very scared turned to his daughter the wolf as though pleading. He supposed he was, desperately pleading to whomever, whatever might be listening that this thing was not true. Nobody was listening.  
  
# You don't need to apologise. # Vixen-as-Wolf replied telepathically. The other wolf on the room whined slightly, a throbbing in the air that would have been too high pitched for the Professor to hear, if he had not been mind-linked to a wolf at the time. Ori's wail was unearthly, disturbing, but not unfamiliar. Too often of late Ilehana had been taking comfort in the simpler form and philosophies of the wolf, and that very wailing had echoed around the whole of Bayville. #You may have once been the strongest of us, Dad, but not anymore......... We both knew you could not hope to help me contain this power forever. #  
  
#So what happens now? # Charles Xavier asked his daughter, well aware that he sounded more like the child of the two. This went way beyond his understanding, made him very afraid. He could not lose his child!  
  
#I don't know. # Ilehana replied cautiously, knowing more than she would ever let on. She could not allow herself to fear anymore, too much depended on her. Nearly, very nearly, it was almost time......... #I just don't know......... #  
  
(Coming soon................."The Guardians of Destiny"...........................)  
  
(Roll Credits....................................) 


End file.
